A MIDDLESBROUGH footballer has been banned from the roads after he was caught drink-driving.

Fabio Rochemback, 26, was found to be more than twice the legal limit when police stopped him after a night out in Yarm in April.

The midfielder was banned from driving for 20-months when he appeared before Teesside magistrates on Thursday.

He was also given a £600 fine and ordered to pay £100 costs.

The court heard that when he was stopped by police on April 9 he had 72 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

The Brazilian international admitted the drink-drive offence.

Rochemback, of The Spital, Yarm, joined Middlesbrough from Sporting Club De Portugal in August 2005.

He made his Boro debut in a 2-1 win over Arsenal and scored his first goal for the club in a 3-0 victory over Chelsea.

He was Portugal’s player of the year in 2003.

He was part of the Middlesbrough side which lost the UEFA cup final to Sevilla in 2006. Rochemback’s future at Middlesbrough has been subject to much transfer speculation but he recently told the Gazette that he is happy at the club.

“I finish my current deal with Boro this June and I don’t know my future,” he said.

“But I am happy at Middlesbrough so we will see what happens.”

Boro manager Gareth Southgate says he plans to sit down with Rochemback this week and discuss his future at the club.